My name is Jessica. I was a vegetarian for 13 years and i have been a vegan for a little over 1 year. After i became vegan i started working out a lot and i go to the gym almost 2 hours pretty much everyday. I have made a lot of improvements at the gym and am doing really well. My goal is to get a lot more muscular and toned and get the bottom of my six pack to come through (need to lose a teeny bit of fat still). My boyfriend, who has been working out for the past 3 years, told me i should take protein powder because it will help boost my improvements and will be good for helping maintain my muscle as well. I know he is right and it sounds like a great idea but i can't help feeling very torn about taking it. I am very healthy and despite never monitering or worrying about protein intake have gained a lot of muscle and strength improvements. I worry that if i take protein powder, if people know, they will act like because i am a vegan i HAVE to take it for my muscle. Almost anyone who tries to gain a lot of muscle takes it but people can be so ignorant and i am always asked about protein and if tofu is the only thing i can get protein from (i never even eat tofu or fake meats) I really want to take the powder and get a good boost and be able to put some extra focus on my weight loss and treadmill with out having to worry too much about muscle loss but i am worried that people will act as if without it i would not be able to get enough protein as a vegan. I need some advice because i really feel torn about this. Thank you.

I really enjoy protein powder. I dont think it would hurt to try some. I do a mix of hemp, pea and brown rice. There are a lot of different kinds available online and in stores. I find cheapest places are online, and places like amazon.

Have any of you experienced people acting as if you MUST take protein powder because you are vegan? I have never met another vegan in person and only my boyfriend and one of his friends works out regularly. Everyone else I know is pretty ignorant about veganism and exercise.

People are always concerned when they find out I am vegan and want to make sure I am in top notch health. Try some different proteins and find what works best for you and just focus on you not what everyone else is thinking. Once they see that you can do it they will support you

I do because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldn't.

Yes I know i shouldn't let other people effect what i do for myself but the idea of an unhealthy and overweight person acting as if i get all of my protein from a drink is keeping me from it lol. I am really thinking i am going to do it. i am doing fine without it but everyone does it to build muscle and it is supposed to give a boost so i should probably give it a go.

"Getting enough protein" depends on what you're doing and what your goals are. Just for everyday life, health and avoiding protein-deficiency is simple and you don't even need to worry about it, but for bodybuilding it's a whole different matter.

I can get plenty of protein for everyday life on a vegan diet, you don't really need very much, and to start with (before I knew anything about bodybuilding) I consumed that much whilst trying to increase muscle mass. I was eating about 65g of protein a day. That is easy to get, in fact I'd say it's hard not to (so long as you are eating the usual things like bread, pasta , rice...) I made progress even on that small amount, and became fit and lean. However I didn't get very big

But after I read anything about building muscle, I realised I'd need more, and that's where the powder comes in handy because you can boost the protein without the carbs or fat that food would give you. Almost all bodybuilders use some kind of protein supplement - vegan or not.

People ask me "Oh, you take a protein drink... because you're vegan" (as though that's the only way a vegan can get any, like it's cheating) and I say "No, I take it because I lift weights"

Thank you for the advice. I have made a lot of progress with out worrying about my protein at all but my end goals do involve getting a lot of muscle so i decided to start. I was worried that if people knew they would say things like that "oh you have to because you are vegan." I will definetely use what you said Robert thank you for that! but I decided i am just not going to tell anyone untill I look a bit more muscular.

I guess it depends why you're doing it. If you think it's important to put across the message that you can achieve what you've done without protein supplements, then that's what you'll have to do. But I think you should consider why that is. Is it just because of what other people will think - even if they are wrong to think it? Sometimes I consider dropping protein supplements altogether because I'd rather eat a more "natural" diet (as far as is possible), for my own health, and for some kind of feeling of "doing it right" or not cheating...

Well i definetely do not think it is cheating because cheating is giving yourself an unfair advantage over others and every body builder or person trying to build a lot of muscle takes protein powder. I just don't want people to think i have to take protein shakes because i am a vegan and i do have a decent amount of muscle but i am not muscular enough yet to feel confident about saying i do this because i lift weights and build lots of muscle etc. etc. My plan for now is to continue working out as i am because i am getting really good results and take the protien powder. After i am more muscular i will let people know. My boyfriend keeps telling me not to worry about what others think about it but i get really pissed off when people act like my diet isn't good. I have the reputation as a health police with everyone who knows me so i get very little of people trying to say my diet is bad, generally people defend their diet to me so having ignorant fat people ask about protein might make me say something nasty hehe.

Yeah I'd just downplay the powders for everyday health - it is unnecessary, they're taken for bodybuilding, you're not knocking back protein drinks just to survive and prevent yourself from passing out each day!